Compressive behavior of octet lattice made by carbon fiber reinforced polymer composite hollow struts: molecular dynamic simulation

Lightweight load-carrying structures are used extensively in industry. Mechanical characteristics of these structures specially strength is important. Octet lattice structure as a lightweight structure was modeled and compressive behavior of it was evaluated using molecular dynamic. Simulation results were compared with experimental data. Hollow struts from carbon fiber reinforced polymer (CFRP) were used for construction of octet lattice structure. With the help of a quasi-static compression test, the compressive modulus and strength of the studied octet lattice systems with different relative densities (0.85%, 1.33% and 2.17%) were calculated. The results indicated the presence of different competing failure mechanisms, including buckling and fiber fracture mechanisms of CFRP hollow struts for lattice systems with low (0.85% and 1.33%) and increased relative (2.17%) densities, respectively. The MD results provide good compatibility with the experimental to show dominated failure mechanisms in both the compressive and failure features. The outstanding characteristics of the CFRP tube-based octet lattice system present noticeable potential in load-bearing applications for various industries.